Founder of Grantham band The Vagabonds Roy Clark dies

A Grantham musician who found a degree of fame in the 1960s when his skiffle band came second in a competition on television has died.

Roy Clark founded the Harmonica Vagabonds in 1955 with his friend Brian 'Liquorice' Locking and were later joined by Vince Eager.

They decided to become a skiffle band and so the harmonicas were dropped, the washboard and tea chest bass came in, and the band's name was shortened to The Vagabonds.

Roy, who was in his eighties, died over the weekend at St Barnabas Hospice in Grantham Hospital.

Vince said: "It's very sad. He was a great guy. We entered the World Skiffle Championships and played about six Wednesdays at Nottingham Poly and won every week. Then they said we were through to the finals on TV and we came second. We won £150."

After their TV experience the band were offered a stint at the 2i's Coffee Bar in London which became renowned for the emergence of skiffle and rock 'n' roll with the likes of Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele playing there in their early years.

While Vince and Brian went on to more musical success, Roy returned to Grantham where he went back to work at Aveling Barford.

Vince added: "We stayed really good friends and went on to do concerts together. We had that brotherly bond between us. We never had a bad word to say about each other."

The Vagabonds celebrated their 60th anniversary at the Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre in 2015 with two shows.

Roy, Vince (real name Roy Taylor), Brian and drummer Mick Fretwell turned back the clock to relive their musical memories of yesteryear supported by Grantham favourites Trevor Leeson, Terry Carey and Lee Robins. Vince’s pal Chas Hodges, of Chas and Dave fame, appeared as a surprise guest on both shows.

Brian Locking died in October 2020.

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